Pregnancy
Dealing With Pregnancy Busybodies
A newly pregnant reader is having a hard time connecting with and wanting to share news of her pregnancy with nosey acquaintances.
Pregnancy
Dealing With a Know-it-All, Opinionated Mom Friend
A first-time pregnant mom is close to losing her cool with her know-it-all friend, an opinionated and know-it-all mom. Should she talk to her friend about this problem or just ignore her and the issue?
Relationships
Five for Fighting
Lessons learns from a verbal altercation that can be applied to relationships and life in general.
Pregnancy
Too Many Visitors During Pregnancy
A third-trimester pregnant mom has an unusually large amount of family and friends visiting and staying overnight on a fairly regular basis and she’s quite tired of it. How can she say No politely?
Big Kid
When Mean Girls Are Too Close To Home
How do you help your daughters when they are excluded from play by the other neighborhood girls?
Relationships
Playdate Punctuality (or the Lack Thereof)
A mom is annoyed that a friend and her child are perpetually late by 20 minutes to every single playdate. Should she say something or let it go?
Childbirth
Birth Plans As Conversation Fodder
What do you do and say when not only do many people inquire about your birth plan, but then those same busybodies try to change your mind?
Big Kid
Advice to My Daughter on Navigating Teen Friendships
How do you talk to your teens about their friends that you don’t like?
Relationships
Old-Fashioned Etiquette in the Age of the Internet
What do you do when you follow an acquaintance’s personal blog and come across a number of storytelling disconnects?
Pregnancy
The Worst Support Group in the World
A mom-to-be has abandoned a toxic support group but continues her friendship with another former support group member. But, that friend continues to gossip about our former group and I just can’t take it anymore. What should I do?
Big Kid
Friendship Rules for the Big Kids
Much as all the Commandments follow from the first one, I feel like all friendship rules flow from “be nice,” but it gets more complicated as the kids grow up.
Parenting
It Takes A Village (And Some Cheesecake)
Parenting, much like clutter, will suck up all of the available space in your life if you let it. Don’t just find your Village, participate in it (without the kids).
Parenting
I Tried to Get Along With Every Other Mother and Then I Came to My Senses
Getting along with other mothers and why you shouldn’t sweat it if you don’t.
Big Kid
Special Needs, Yes Indeed: Find Your Family’s Tribe
When you’re parenting kids with special needs, finding another family who gets it is invaluable, for both kids and parents.
Big Kid
When Your Teen’s Friend Has Mental Health Issues
No one wants their kid to be unkind to others, but when it comes to issues of mental illness, are you teaching your kid kindness or fear?
Big Kid
The Best of the Internet: When Your BFF’s Kids Embrace Your Own
What happens when you internet BFF’s kids meet your own? It’s really a best of the web type story. Seeing our teens become fast friends proved to be an unexpected gift to a dear far-away friend and me.
Postpartum
Post-Baby, Postpartum Visiting Pitfalls
Things to avoid when visiting or staying with brand-new parents.
Your Life
The Friendship Facebook Death
I just found out — thanks to Facebook — that one of my best friends is getting married. And I’m not invited. What happened??
Your Life
Helping a Friend Through the Loss of a Parent
My friend’s father just died after a long battle with cancer. What can I do for her and her family? How can I be a help and not a burden?
Big Kid
It Is None of My Business What Other Teenagers Do, Or Is It?
Do you tell parents if you know their kid is involved in destructive behavior? I happen to think it takes a village, even if it makes me uncomfortable at times.